On April 8, seven U.S. steel manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union filed an anti-dumping and countervailing duty trade case against China with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, alleging that $2.7 billion of Chinese pipe steel was unfairly dumped onto the American market in 2008.

Already reeling under the global recession that increases the impact on jobs in the steel and pipe manufacturing sector, U.S. Steel Corp., the largest U.S. steelmaker, has slowed steelmaking capacity and cut spending to contend with a drop in demand.

Accusing China of unreasonably low pricing tactics, the parties call for U.S. tariff increases of about 37 percent to 99 percent on the specific product — a type of manufactured steel product referred to as oil country tubular goods, which extract oil or gas from drill wells.

The DOC is expected to issue a preliminary subsidy finding by Sept. 8, 2009, and a preliminary dumping finding by 6 November, 2009.

Bobcat plants idle for short term

Bobcat Company says its plants in Bismarck and Gwinner will be idle for part of June and July due to a sluggish worldwide economy.

The announcement comes a little more than a month after Bobcat said it would cut nearly 250 jobs at the two North Dakota plants. It has said it expects the construction market to improve next year.